Mac Gollehon
Mac Gollehon (born in Virginia, USA) is an American musician and composer, whose work has included performing with Duran Duran on tour. Biography Born and raised in Virginia, Mac began his musical career with sawdust in his shoes, when, at twelve, he played 1" trumpet for the circus, soon followed by teenage years performing with an array of bands and playing 1" trumpet with the Roanoke Symphony. After graduating from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mac went on the road with the big band circuit, playing with such greats as Buddy Rich, Buddy Morrow, Stan Kenton, and others. New York beckoned the young trumpeter whose talent had caught the attention of recording producers like Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Bill Lasewell, Arthur Baker, Arif Mardin, and Rick Derringer. Their albums moved up the charts with Mac's fiery horn as Steve Winwood, Arrow, Laurie Anderson, Power Station, Mick Jagger, and many others signed him on time and again for more than 1000 recordings and more than 75 solos on Top-Forty singIes. In the world of screaming guitars, synths, and samplers, Mac Gollehon's trumpet solos can be heard on David Bowie's "Let's Dance", Jagger and Bowie's "Dancin' the Street", Grace Jones's " Inside Story", Duran Duran's "Notorious", Billy Ocean's "Get Out Of My Dreams", and on "Coming to America," Eddie Murphy's film soundtrack. As a master of Latin, calypso, country, rock, and jazz, Hilton Ruiz has christened the versatile player "genius"; Lester Bowie describes him as "a special talent,"and Nile Rodgers nicknamed him "the best trumpet player on the planet." After he shared the concert stage with Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, and others, Brass Player s critic wrote: "Playing straight ahead jazz in the company of our most prominent jazzers, Mac more than held his own he left- them awe-struck." For years, audiences around the world have experienced Mac performing for Chic, Blondie, Sheena Easton, and Duran Duran during ''The Strange Behaviour Tour'' to mention only a few. In fact, on any given week, Mac can be found Iaying down tracks for Onyx, Kenny Barron, Ric Ocasek, Laurie Anderson, or Madonna. "Becoming a complete musician has been an on-going process for me," explains Mac. "It has been an evolution of building a personal stylistic identity by collaborating with other musicians of enormous talent. I've been influenced and stimulated by them and have been able to develop my own character and individual style. Whether I'm working with David Bowie, Hall, Oates or even Duran Duran, most times, I've been able to interject my own concepts into their music and it has helped my own personal approach to music." Mac's Smokin' Section ''all-original debut album features Mac Gollehon's brand of trumpet, with an all-star cast including Nile Rodgers (guitar), Lester Bowie (trumpet), Hilton Ruiz (piano) and Robert Aaron (tenor sax). Mac's ''Smokin' Section features original tracks in jazz, rock, latin and blues rhythms and fused by Gollehon's soulful trumpet. Mac Gollehon's Jazz career has flourished he has presently 6 cds to his name. The latest 2 "Mac Straight Ahead" released 2010 and his new CD "Oddyssey of Nostalgia "released Oct 11, 2011. both to critical acclaim. Many Jazz greats, Ronnie Cuber, Melvin Sparks, Ron McClure,Victor Lewis and Amina Claudine Myers have joined Mac on his new CDs.. Macs trumpet and trombone playing is considered to be on par with the world's foremost players . Category:Musicians